Lead singer Gary Barlow and bandmates Howard Donald and Mark Owen were left with the bill (Picture: PA)

Take That could be forced to arrange another worldwide tour to enable three members to pay off a reported £30million tax bill.

Lead singer Gary Barlow and bandmates Howard Donald and Mark Owen were left with the bill after a court ruled a scheme they invested in was set up to avoid tax.

The three may yet appeal against the decision but there is also talk they may get the band together again for a world tour to generate funds. They last toured in 2011.

Reaction on Twitter was mixed, with one tweeter saying: ‘Sometimes good things come from bad things,’ and another asking: ‘If this is what they’ve got to do to pay it off, can we all just petition HMRC to write it off?’

Barlow, Donald and Owen invested £66million in two partnerships styled as music-industry investment schemes but which a court ruled were artificial tax havens for the super-rich.

Set up by a company called Icebreaker Management, it allowed them to avoid tax on millions raised through tours and CD sales following their reunion in 2005.

The other two members of the group – Robbie Williams and Jason Orange – were not involved. Judge Colin Bishop said: ‘Icebreaker is a tax avoidance scheme.’

About 1,000 investors are accused of sheltering about £300million through it.